Warning signal



Oct. 27, 1931. w. T. FELTON 1,828,892

WARNING SIGNAL Filed Oct. 9, 1929 IN VENTOR M/ALL/AM T F54 TON BY M M A TTORNEYS upper end of ameter to slip into it thelower end of a coiled spring B, which lower end is originally of the Patented Oct. '27, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WARNING SIGNAL Application filed October 9,1929. Serial No. 398,305.-

My invention relates to a device adapted to perform a waving or wig-wag motion when exposed to the wind, and is intended primarily for use as a danger signal warning traflic to stop or'at least proceed with caution, as in the case of roads under construction,- streets torn up for the laying of pipes or re pairs, and in other situations where danger exists to traflic or to men working on or below -streets or roads. The object of my invention is to provide a device of this character which will have a much greater motion than the danger flags now in common 1 and which thereby will more readily attract the attention of drivers and thus be use,

more effective for its purposes.

A satisfactory and preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated by the accompanylng drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an ele vation of my improved signal, with parts in ,section;'Fig. 2 is a top view of the base of the device; Fig. 3 is a detail vertical section of a portion of the signal, on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 4;lS a bottom view of an expanslon plug employed in said embodiment.

At A I have shown a base, ofcast iron or other heavy material. This base is preferably of hemispherical shape with a bottom recess A to form" an annular ridge or ledge A" to give the base a firmer footing on uneven, ground. At the top, the base has a I centr upward projection A made with a downwardly flaring recess or socketA The such socket is of suflicient disame diameter as the main portion or body of the spring. To secure the spring in the socket A, I prefer to employ the expanding device illustrated, which comprises a wedge C, shown as of conical shape, located within the socket and preferably cast integral with the base. The wedge is of smaller diameter than the inside .of'the spring B.

This spring is then inserted into the socket A, the lower end of the spring touching the bottom of the socket-an surrounding the wedge. I then drop into t e spring, through its open upper end,"a plug D of cylindrical shape, having two vertical cuts or slits D at right angles to each other, extending from the bottom of the plug to within a short dis-- tance from its upper end. The upper end or point of the wedge will engage the plug D at the intersection of the two slits D. A rod is then inserted into the spring from above,

and while the lower end of such rod engages the upper end of the plug D, blows are directeduponthe upper end of the rod by means of a hammer or other suitable tool. The plug D-is thus gradually forced from the original position shown in Fig. 3 by dotted lines, downwardly until it engages the bottom of the socket A During such downward movement, the split portion of the plug is spread or expanded-by the action of the wedge C,

and this in turn causes the lower end of the spring B to be expanded within the flaring socket, as shown, with the result that the spring is firmly secured or anchored in said socket, a rigid connection being thus established between the base A'andthe lower end of the spring.

The upper'portion of the spring B receives the lower, end of a staflt' E, of wood or other suitable material, to the upper end of which is secured the signal proper, F, generally a flag of red cloth, which if desired, may be provided with aspreaderwire F to assist in eeping it in an open position so that it will ends of which project between adjacent convolutions or turns of the coiled spring. Preferably, the in G is removable, an ordinary cotter in eing generally employed. The hole E and the in G are preferably not at right angles to t e longitudinal axis of the staff F, but oblique, being inclined relatively to said axis atan anglecorresponding to the pitch or the spring coils. Thus, if the flag stafi E is rotatedaboutits longitudinal axis,

the pin G will move 'or screwup or down along the coils of the spring 13, bringing the lower end of the staff farther from, or nearer to, the socket A, for a purpose to be explained presently. In order to revent accldental separation of the sta from the active. Thus, direction'or the other, I can adjust the length tract the attention of beholders.

Various modifications may be made with spring, which might occur if the stafi were rotated until the in G would unscrew from the upper end of t e spring, I refer to fasten the uppermost turn or coil of t e spring to the adjacent turn, for instance by spot-welding, as indicated at B.

When the base A is set on the if such ground is erfectly leve the unbalanced condition of the flag and stafi structure (since the flag is to one side of the stafi') ound, even will cause the spring B and staff E to lean to one side, as the center of gravity of the flag and stafi structure is not upon the lon- 'gitudinal axis of the spring, B, but lies to one side of said axis, and since the weight of such structure is suflicient to overcome the tension of the spring and bend such spring laterally. The flag w-illthus be caused to han in a position in which it will readily catc even a light breeze. As the wind gen- .eraly comes in puffs, the flag and staff will bend to and fro, or wig-wag, thus attracting attention much more effectively than when the stafi remains stationary. Should the direction of the wind change, even but slightly,

this will cause the staff to sway to different directions, the spring B allowing movement of the staff to different inclinations, in all directions. When only a light wind is blowing, the staff will be adjusted to a position the portion into which project, isable to bend portion of the spring which surrounds the stall is held. against lat-' eral bending and is therefore practically inby rotating the stafi in one of the free or active portion of thes ring,

and thus adjust the spring to a condition of greater or less efiective stifiness', as may be 7 desirable in view of .wind conditions.

While I have described aspecific embodiment of my invention in which the base is a surface of a road adapted to be set on the or street, it will be understood that other forms of base might be employed, depending which the device,

while my on the particular use for may be intended. Furthermore, invention has been directed primarily to the production 'of a danger signal, it will be obvious that the structure (such as the flag and staff) which waves or sways in the wind may be used for other purposes, wherever it is. desired to produce an effect which will atportion of .the

out departing from the nature of my invefltion as set forth in the appended clalms.

I claim:

1. An article,of the character descrlbed, comprising a base, a spring attached to the base, and an attention-attracting dev ce connectellwith said spring and having its center of gravity to one side of the center'of gravity of the spring, said device being of a weight suflicient to overcome the tension of the spring and cause such spring to be normally bent to one side.

2. An article of the character described .compr sin' a base, a coiled spring one end of which-1s attached to said base, an attention-attracting device provided with a staff projecting into said spring and rotatable therein, and a projection extending from said staff between.the convolutions of the coil to causesuch stalf to move toward or from the base of the stall is rotated." 6. An article according to claim 2, in which the projection extending between the convolutions of the spring isdisposed obliquely to the staff, at an angle corresponding to the pitch of the spring coils. 7 4. An article according to claim 2, in which the spring coils are closed at the outer end of the spring,'to revent the projection on the staff from acci entally working outfrom between the coils of the spring.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM T. FELTON. 

